Gender, law and justice in Pakistan

Abstract

The aim of this study is to identify the growing trends of gender based violence in Pakistan since 80's. The constitution of Pakistan provides a framework to empower the women in Pakistan, but it also makes them victims of customs and unilaterally imposed laws. This leads towards the issue of violence against women. The major question of this paper is: how useful, judiciary as an institution is in addressing the issue of violence against women in Pakistan? This study addresses this question by closely observing the various clauses in the constitution of Pakistan such as Hodood Ordinance, Qisas, Diyat Ordinance and Qanoon e Shahdat (law of witness). To contribute to the existing scholarship on gender issues, this study is based on some primary and secondary data. Interviews are conducted with the lawyers and government employees, and local men and women. Secondary data is collected from the constitution of Pakistan, various academic articles, Government statistics and UN reports. Discussion of this study illustrate that with the presence of such laws the status of women is un-empowered and they are a part of a global mechanism that reproduces gender subordination in a patriarchal world.

Author

Farah Naz (Presenter), University of SydneyI'm a doctoral candidate at the University of Sydney. My research area: Women and Radicalisation in Pakistan. I'm keenly interested in identifying violence against women, the role of women in combating and supporting terrorism.